Automatic spark control for internal-combustion engines.



F. SCHMIDJ I AUTOMATIC SPARK CONTROL FOR INTERNAL,COIJIBUSTION'ENGINESIAPPLICATION FILED FEB. 28.1917.

Patenmd N0v.12,1918

2 SHEETS-SHEET l I F. V. SCHNHE. AuToMAlc SPARK CONTROL ma` mmm/ncomsuslom mms3..

APPLlcmlN mso ma.

r 1'" .IE-m12,

2 SHEE'lS-SMEET 2.

lNvErsTon wim asses it Trini 'www t dri ridi if@ it inicien-lignAUTMATIC SPARK CONTROL FOR NTERNL-COMBSTGT ENGNES.

Application ler February 2B, 191?.

To ou whom t may concern t Be it known that L FRANK V. Scrutin. acitizen ot' the United States, residing at Humphrey, in the 'county ofPlatte and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful-Improvements iniiutomatic Spark Controls tor tnternal- CombnstionEngines, ot' which the following is a specilication.

This invention relates to improvements in internal combustion engines,and more particularly 'to a device tor autonnaticallyY controlling thespark ot such engines, and which is especially designed tor nse inconnection with automobiles.

The main object of the in vention is to provvide a simple and etlicientdevice ot this character which may be attached to anv make ot car` newor old, andvby the nscet which the magneto ma)Y be set to spark cxactlvat the point where the strongest current is flowing and which producesthe spark exactly atl the right instant during the stroke. of the pistonthus securing the greatest power trom the liast fuel.

lVith the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the conn bination andarrangement ot' parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment. ot' the invention herein disclosed may be made within thescope ot what. is claimed without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

`ln the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 represents a Side elevation ot this improved device shownapplied, f

Fig. 2 is a similar View on an enlarged scale showing the deviceconstituting the invention with the engine and magnetoy omitted.

Fi g. 3 is a longitudinal section thereof,

Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 5 is a similar view taken on the line 5 of Fig. 2,

Fig; 6 is a detail perspective view of the shaft connecting sleeveconstituting a part of this invention, and

Fig. 7 is a similar view showing the two shaft sections in connectionwith which this improvement is used.

In the embodiment illustrated, the device constituting this inventionisA shown applied 'to a magneto driving shaft termed in twoSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. ft2, tm.

semi Meinem.

vsections fi and 2. the section l being conected to the magnetoindicated at in Fic. l and section driven by "'l e engine li. .i sleevei connects these sli-att se'tions -ind is engaged therewith hv means oistads l on vthe shaft sections and spiral slots 5 in the sleeve. rl`woof these slots 5 open inwardlj; trom each end of the sleeve at diamctricallf' opposite pointsI and curve in oppositc directions. 'theseslots` are 'l'dablv engaged with the studs la two olf wi ter are carriedbv each' shaft section ai' die metricallv opposite points spaced 'fromthe. outer ends ot the .sections (see Figs. 3 and 7). rl`he sleeve 3 isexteriorlv threaded :t its opposite ends to receive collars G and T.,the' collar 7 having an annular `rroove S in its periplieri1 in whichoperate extensions 9 ot screws itl carried b v n kgovernor ring' 1l.Three ot these screws are here shown (see Fig. l). but it is to beunderstood that-an): desired mnnber ma): be employed. The other govermirring' l2 is liked rigidl)v to the shaft section l b v a set screw i3 asis shown clearly in Figs. '2 and 'i.

The nsnal ii'overnor springs lficonnect the rings l] and l2 andearrvthereon weights l5 which nav be arranged on either side ot' saidsprings. being; here shown on the outer sides thereot.

ln the toi-mot the invention here shown, the sleeve 3 is mounted on theshaft of a. magneto which runs clockwise and in the,

operation ol: the device it wih be understood that when the engine l hasbeen started and the. speed increased sntlicientlv. the governor weightsl5 will tlv outward and bv means ot thc engagement ot the collar 1l withsleeve. .il will move said sleeve to the right so that. the revolutionof shaft section 2 will be increased as compared to that ot the shaft l,and since the contact breaker` not shown, which controls the spark isplaced directly on this shaft section 2 it follows that the spark willbe correspondingly advanced. and when the engine slows down and the ring1l moves outward the spark will be correspondinglv retarded. It is to beunderstood. that the spark could be manually controlled bv this devicebv substituting a hand lever tor the governor ring ll. the said lever tooperate in the groove 8 ot collar 7 so that en the shifting of thesleeve toward the niagneto, the spark will he retarded and by moving itin the opposite direction from( the magneto it will hev advanced.

In the embodiment illustrated as before stated, the device is shownapplied to a magneto revolving clockwise but it is to be understood thatit may be applied toV one revolving anti-clockwise by simply removingthe collars 6 and 7, withdrawing the shaft sections and reversing theposition of the sloei e 3. l

From the above description it will be understood that where a device hasbeen once supplied and connected with a governor ring in the mannerabove described no further attention' is required on the part of theoperator, the speed of the engine operating to control sleeve 3,shifting it toward or away from the magneto and thereby retarding oradvancing the spark to-meet the requirements of the engine so that thespark will occur at exactly the right instant of the piston stroke andthereby obtain a maximum amount of power with a minimum consumption offuel.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the advantages of the construction and of themethod of operation will be readily apparent to those skilledlin the artto which the invention appertains and while l have described theprinciple of operation of the invention together with the device which Inow consider to be the best embodiment thereof. I desire to have itunderstood that the device shown is merely illustrative and that suchchanges may be made as are Within the scope of the claimed invention.

I claim:-

The combination with a magneto driving shaft composed of two sections,each having a pair of studs projecting laterally therefrom atdiametrically opposite points; of a sleeve encompassing said sectionsand provided at each end with a pair of longitudinally extending spiralslots opening through the ends of said sleeve and extending in oppositedirections and adapted to be engaged with the studs on said shaftsections, the slots in one end extending toward those in the other end,and similarly curved, collars removably mounted on the ends of saidsleeve, one of said collars having an annular peripheral groove` a pairof governor rings, one of which is fixed to one shaft section and theother loosely encircling said grooved collar, said last-mentionedringihaving projections on vits inner Jface loosely engaging the grooveof said collar,v springs connecting said rings, and weights carried byysaid springs whereby the sliding of the sleeve is controlled by thespeed of the engine to retard or advance the spark.

In testimony whereoic I ai'ix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK V. SCHMID.

Witnesses:

EDD' HASSMANN,

BERNARD GJLSDORF.'

